Reforged
by xDiv
Summary: In a kingdom forged in flames and built on inhuman experimentation, the acclaimed princess, Isabelle, will discover that not everything her father says is true. When King Ethan's true intentions are revealed it is up to her to uncover the secrets of her past and save the Overworld from the hell he plans to unleash, while trying to save countless others along the way.
1. Chapter 1

_**Reforged **_

There were no forewarnings of the disaster. It was instant. No one had seen anything like it. It was obscure, the first of its kind.

It wasn't natural.

...

The girl stood atop a grassy hill, staring down at the lush field below. She let the soft wind tug at her dress and carry her dark brown hair to the west. The grass beneath her bare feet was welcoming, tickling her as she stared out into the large space. There were flowers as far as the eye could see and of all different colors. The girl could name them, the flowers. Each and every one of them had their own aroma, color, texture, and use. The white dress she wore hugged her skin against the breeze, until a small child ran up behind her form and tackled her from behind. The girl stumbled, only faltering slightly, before turning around and laughing at the child. Their giggles mixed together in the quiet area like music, both pitches making a rather pleasant sound.

The smaller of the two, the girl with shorter brown hair, smiled with barely a full set of teeth. Her auburn eyes shimmered with youth and pale skin blended in with her own white dress. The two bodies hugging were extremely similar in clothing and looks, but the older one's skin had some slight color to it, whereas the child was pale. Like a cheerful ghost.

"Sis'!" The child shouted gleefully and hugged the older girl, giggling into her dress and leaving crease marks when she squeezed. The older one didn't concern herself with the dress. She was just happy to be together with the person she cared the most for. They embraced each other for awhile, the wind dying down around them, until the older one spoke up.

"I thought father told me to go alone. Why did you follow?" She patted the child on the head and briefly ran a hand through her messy hair. The smaller girl pouted and backed up away from her, seeming saddened by the remark.

"You act like you don't wanna see me or something." Her voice was quiet.

"Oh Faith…" The older sibling trailed off and kneeled down so they met at eye level, "I just wanted to be certain father knew you were out here. I enjoy your company."

Faith faltered at her sister's sweet gesture, looking away in order to avoid eye contact with the girl's nurturing glare. She tugged at her dress, then clasped her tiny hands together and curled her bottom lip.

"Sis' I just wanted to come see the flowers with you! Don't tell father, pleeeeeeeeeeease. Also! You forgot this at the house, so I wanted to bring it to you." She turned around and shuffled around near the grass, seemingly digging up the very earth in an attempt to narrow her search.

The older girl's eyes seemed to widen for a moment, noticing a small leather book next to Faith's body. She took hold of the tiny object, remembering just how dainty her hands were, and went to open it. The older sibling unwound the string from the button that enclosed the leather book's contents. She blinked in astonishment, flipping through the pages filled with drawings of different kinds of flowers and descriptions of their use on the bottom of it. Before flipping near the end of the book, she closed it tightly with one hand and lifted it up.

"You didn't open it, right?"

Faith, who was still looking for the book herself, turned around to see it was safe and sound in her sister's hand. She didn't hear the question. She cocked her head and stared up at the older sibling with an innocent gaze. When she repeated herself, Faith's eyes widened and her voice got noticeably lower.

"Uh… no." Faith whispered the words under her breath.

The older sibling knowingly raised an eyebrow and continued staring at the child. It wasn't hard to tell when Faith wasn't telling the truth. The child wasn't adept at lying yet because she lacked experience, but it was so painfully obvious that the older girl lost her threatening glare and just smiled. Faith tried to smile back, but it was only a grin followed by a burst of nervous laughter, which only made her older sister laugh.

"Sorry," the girl apologetically looked down at the ground, "I didn't read any of it! You're just so good at drawing and I just wanted to see the pretty pictures. I swear!" Faith beamed that last sentence, hoping she'd get her point across. She was helplessly fidgeting at the older girl's side, waiting for some kind of approval that she wasn't in any kind of trouble. Faith's smile only widened when she received a kiss on the forehead from her older sister.

"Look," The eldest rose beside her and took Faith's tiny hand in her own, "Let's just get this done so father doesn't worry about you, okay?" The girl nodded energetically.

Together the two made their way down the hill, the oldest one smiling as she watched Faith bolt past her in an attempt to get there first, but making sure she didn't get any grass stains on the dress. Their father would surely be upset. The older sister's eyes began to wander down to the leather book she held so tightly to her chest. Briefly wondering if Faith did manage to flip to the back and read any of the writing she had back there.

The thought frightened her. Aside from a personal information booklet, the girl treated it as a journal, with her thoughts and innermost secrets written in the back of the book. She shivered at the thought of someone opening it, let alone reading it. She stopped in place, looking up at the clouds in the sky, trying to find some peace in the world above. _It must be riveting for a bird... unbound from the earth below. So free._

"Sis?" Faith called out distantly, barely being heard over the wind. The child sat at the bottom of the hill wondering at her sister's face for several seconds now. Initially she did not want to interrupt, but the child's curiosity bested her. Faith could distantly see the girl look down and sigh, before trotting down the hill. She opened her mouth to say something, but the older girl simply brushed past her small form and took the lead.

...

Several aromas seemed to fill the air all at once when the two sisters continued forward and out into the field. The eldest sibling having a melancholy look on her face that confused Faith. The child dismissed her confusion quickly, for she felt the opposite. Gleefully her body carried her among the sea of flowers without hesitation, taking in the aromas of the poppies and daises and sunflowers and-

"Careful!" Faith heard her sister's soft voice call out to her, interrupting the playful frolic.

"The flowers aren't going to hurt me... are they!?" The child giggled, but then stared quizzically back at her older sibling.

"You never know what kind of _poisonous_ aromas may be lurking and ready to attack your nostrils." The older responded, trying to use her best threatening tone of voice.

"Really?!" Faith gasped.

"No, I just hate it when you run ahead of me. Stick by me, okay?" She pointed to the spot next to her, waiting for the child to move.

"Oh, okay! Just don't be too slow then. I wanna see all of the different flowers." Faith beamed. She looked up at the older girl, watching her eyes suddenly gray against her glare. Faith was worried until she saw the smile grow on her sister's face.

"Alright."

...

Faith's energetic walk was hard to keep up with, but the older sister managed to match the child's burst of youth. Several times, Faith pestered her on what kinds of flowers she encountered and asked an assortment of questions, but the book the older sister held so close came in handy.

"What. Is. THAT!?" Faith nearly stomped on a school of oxeye daisies when she ran over to the circle shaped flower in the distance. The setting sun left the sky an orange tint, just resting behind the flower. Faith leaned over and cocked her head at it, the grass beneath her feet felt different.

The faint sound of pages flipping could be heard against the breeze whipping past the two sisters. Faith directed her gaze at the small brown book in her sister's delicate palms, her thumb stopping at the page needed. The child waited for her sister to speak the words written on the paper, but they never came. Instead she was met with the extended hand with the book held carefully. Faith traced her sister's body up and down, then back to the book, as if asking for confirmation but without actually saying anything. The faintest smile formed on the girl's face and she nodded. Faith grabbed the book slowly and analyzed.

The pages seemed worn out and, now that Faith really thought about it, she hadn't known just how long this book had been in her sister's possession. On the upper half of the brownish page was an ink drawing that showed a striking resemblance to the flower that rested before her. She could tell each petal was carefully drawn to the very last detail. On the lower half was a neat and concise description of the flower in question.

_The Sunflower: _

_A bright yellow flower that bears resemblance to the sun itself. It can grow to medium heights and is mainly used for making dyes and harvesting its seeds. Its seeds can be used as a food, whether it is cooked or fresh. Upon studying the patterns of the Sunflower, I have noticed that the face of the flower will always point towards where the sun rises, unless otherwise placed or moved unnaturally. Very useful for directions._

After uttering the last line, Faith peered up at her older sister, wondering how long it took her to make these observations.

"You wrote this all by yourself, sis'!?"

A slight pause. "Yes, I come to the fields often so it wasn't difficult."

"You're a good writer. And this drawing! It's amazing sis'." Faith was smiling brilliantly.

"Well," The older sibling brushed some hair out of her face before looking up at the dim sky. "It is getting rather late and with your newfound knowledge I'm sure you can understand that the sun is not rising." She said with her face looking at the setting sun.

"Aww... just a little while longer? Please!"

"A couple of minutes are all you have."

Faith wanted to spend her few minutes wisely, so she gave herself a mental mission. That mission was to find a flower that her sister hadn't written about before. She walked briskly, trying to ignore the obvious choices such as tulips, roses, dandelions, and poppies. However, it was impossible to avoid considering the field seemed to be flooded with white and red.

The girl watched her sister with a stoic expression, even though deep down the sister felt as if she should have been smiling. The child had a certain look of determination written across her face as she searched valiantly for who knows what. _ Maybe more sunflowers? Probably a rarer flower._ She assumed it to be the latter of the two. The older sister decided to stay nearby, but not right next to the child. Slowly she grazed past a bouquet of tulips, striding next to rose bushes and fields of dandelions. Something caught her eye and she paused momentarily.

Not too far away she spotted a lone lily in a school of sunflowers, their tall stalks almost consuming the blooming flower entirely. She moved her dress slightly and knelt over it, studying the flower carefully. The silky white petals matching the color of her dress, but the bright yellow filaments sticking out and contrasting together nicely. She plucked it and raised it at eye level. Lilies were the highest on her list of beautiful flowers. There were several reasons for this, but one of them being the rarity of the flower.

She sniffed it carefully, taking in the aroma it had but the girl ended up sneezing softly nonetheless. A small smile spread across her lips and her cheeks flushed with color; the scent was sweet but strong. It was just the way she liked it. Her smile faded slightly as deep thought overcame her.

_Mother's favorite._

...

The flower felt huge compared to Faith's tiny hands, the petals wrapping around her palms and hugging her wrists. They were a darker shade of pink or as she would've described it: _light purple._ She found it perched in the middle of a tiny bush, secluded from most of the other flowers. The red of the carnations attracted her attention at first, but when she saw this _purple-ish_ flower all by its lonesome, Faith figured it was rare. She thought to herself, _that wasn't so bad_, but the tiny scratch marks on her hands and arms said otherwise. The foliage was unforgiving, the various thorns and leaves had pricked her skin in her attempt in searching for something to impress her sister. It was worth it though; the child's smile grew at the large flower cupped carefully in her hands.

Faith scurried back to where she thought her sister was, near the roses and tulips, but when she arrived it appeared as if she were abandoned. The older sibling nowhere in sight. For a brief moment, terror crept in the back of her mind, the fear of being stranded when night time approached was frightening for a child her age. Faith cleared her throat loudly and called out in the seemingly empty field.

"S-Sis'? Where'd you go?" The only reply she received was the light howl of the wind.

She shook violently and her eyes widened when she thought her fear was becoming a reality. That is until Faith heard a gentle whisper from behind.

"You scared?" her sister leaned over her shoulder and rested her chin in the crevice between it and the child's neck.

Faith made a light screaming noise and jumped forward, away from the brown curtain of hair that draped over her shoulder. She almost sprinted away, getting only six footsteps from her, until Faith realized it was her sister. She turned around to see her sibling grinning slyly, with both her hands behind her back and messy straight brown hair getting somewhat in her face.

"That's n-not funny." The child pouted, still clutching the purple flower in her hands, slightly shaking.

"I apologize sis', but you are wrong on that one. It was damn funny." She brought one of her hands to her mouth and laughed softly.

The child let out a barely audible growl that compared to that of the least threatening noise the sibling ever heard. On the verge of bursting into more laughter, she quickly changed the subject and pointed at the flower Faith held so dearly to her chest. The child gazed questioningly at her at first, then realized and brought her cupped hands close. As she walked, Faith noticed her sister placing something behind her gently on the ground. _The book _she thought.

Faith savored the moment.

The child was excited and nervous; her arms weary from the fatigue of running around and retracing steps to find where her sister had been. However, Faith's eyes widened and her pupils looked like two brown globes when she presented the flower to her older sister. She watched the sibling cup her hands and take the light purple petals from her own, lifting it up and down slowly trying to weigh it. It wasn't heavy, but the flower escaping Faith's palms felt somewhat relieving, as if the weight of the world was taken off her shoulders. She watched her sister scan the texture, the petals, the filaments, everything. Her face showed little to no emotion as she did this.

"A peony," the girl whispered hoarsely underneath her breath. She turned the flower clockwise, slowly, still analyzing its texture. What she didn't notice, however, was Faith frowning in front of her. The child's face was contorted in obvious disappointment, slightly heartbroken that her older sister actually recognized the peony.

Faith stood staring at the ground for several seconds until she heard her sister say something, but couldn't make it out. She looked up to meet her gaze still fixated on the light purple petals; her eyes seemed to be full of color again, a small grin written across her fair skin.

"I have not seen this flower for a long time. Have not drawn or written about it, but I have seen it once as a child, before you were born. I barely remember."

The child's laugh was sweet and victorious. Her happiness peaked momentarily, but the melancholy look on her sister's face made Faith curious. She pointed to the ground behind her sister, waiting for her to snap out of the daze she was in.

"Huh? Sorry, I'm a little out of it."

"The book, you should probably pick it up so we can head home, sis'."

"Right."

Faith watched her turn around and pick up the book; no, actually. She did a double take and noticed she picked up two items. Faintly, she could make out white petals blending in with the dress on her shirt.

"What's that?" Faith inquired curiously.

The girl paused, and then looked at the child with a very serious expression that surprised Faith. She sighed and gazed at her one more time, then put the leather book back down. Slowly, she got on one knee and met Faith at eye level once again, pulling the flower in front of her. The girl's voice was a whisper.

"I rarely see this flower as well, but I feel as if this is something that I..." she trailed off, but her body kept on moving. Slowly taking the white flower and brushing her hair to the side slightly, she pointed the stem in the slight opening that was made. She slowly slid the green stick in the crevice between her hair follicles and released her hand so the strands enveloped the stem.

"No, _we, _can always have to remember mother. It's a lily, her favorite." She backed up and took a good look at her sister, who was in slight awe but nevertheless tried her very best to look up and smile. The sister thought the white petals of the lily contrasted beautiful with Faith's auburn hair and orange lighting the sunset in the background gave off. She longed to draw her, but remembered that Faith didn't bring anything to write with. Sighing softly, she gazed at Faith and extended her hands somewhat away from her face, pretending to have a camera. The child smiled even more so, her teeth flashing in the sunlight.

"Click." She mimicked the sound of a camera taking a picture. Faith giggled and changed poses momentarily, looking away from the 'camera' and at the sunset.

"Click." The older sister was happy now, giggling and staring the child, but Faith retained her laughter and composure.

"One more. Make sure you give me the best you got!"

Faith turned to the 'camera' one last time and formed a heart with her hands, closed her eyes, and smiled. _She's adorable._ The girl thought.

She went to take the mental photo but hesitated, realizing that soft tears were streaming down her face. Faith didn't see them. It was all too real. The memories that came flooding back to her like a newly opened dam. Her mother, the flower, the fragrance. Faith even resembled her. No, they both did. She covered her mouth to suppress the gasp of sadness that overwhelmed her. _One more picture. _The girl continued to stare at Faith, who maintained her pose with all her might. _One last one._

The last one.

_Click_.

...

The earth shook beneath the footholds of many that day, some buildings toppled, dozens sustain injuries, and many died. However, the strangest occurrence took place in the field of flowers way on the outskirts of a certain town.

Faith didn't hear it.

Didn't hear the _click_. Didn't hear the sound of her sister calling out to her desperately.

She fell first, and then she started moving. The lush grass that comforted her so had become a trial, the plates in the earth being ripped apart and moving her away. Her eyes darted open, but she saw only the world above, half the sky full of stars and the remaining portion still having a slight orange tint. Faith sprawled all over, trying to regain her footing and stand up, but it was almost impossible with the ground shaking so maddeningly.

She had heard from her older sister that earthquakes were worse in cities and that if they were ever hit by one it would be fine because of the lack of structures. That she would only feel a minor shake and it'd be over. This was not the case.

Faith staggered to her knees, it was all she could manage, and forced herself to concentrate and look forward. She saw her sister, crawling on her knees, oh so desperately clawing her way to Faith; to protect her. Faith, in her jumbled state and her foggy thoughts, decided her sister shouldn't be the only one trying and tried to do the same but at a much slower pace.

...

The girl was tunneling. She didn't care.

Didn't care for her leather book. Didn't care for Faith's peony or her lily or any other flower in the field.

Only for her sister.

_I can't lose her._ She thought numbly against the shaking of the ground and the ringing in her ears. _I promised mother I'd protect her. With my life._

They were close. So painstakingly close to one another that it hurt more than the actual disaster around them. Their hands outstretched for the other, their dresses both sprawled out and wrinkled against the grass. The lily remained intact. The sister's fingers were so close to one another, almost touching when they were suddenly jerked away.

It was instant.

A ravine split open in between them, both layers of the earth suddenly moving away from the other carrying the two girls with them. Faith's eyes widened more than she thought humanly possible momentarily as she was met with the apocalyptic wasteland made by the new opening. She heard roars of noise behind her, but didn't turn to face the source of it. Several more cracks in the earth, not as large as the first one, began rippling open and spewing fire. Faith didn't move though, her eyes fixated on the view in front of her.

The bottom of the ravine flooded with rushing lava and darkness, but she was frozen in fear, unable to try and move away. She screamed her sister's name, but nothing was heard over the noise around them. Then everything moved slow.

_Too slow_

The foothold beneath her form, the only thing keeping Faith from falling unto her demise, gave way. She felt the sensation of falling for a brief second. The scariest second of her life. The rocks ground crumbling down and the dirt plummeting below to be incinerated by the lava. Faith was sure she was next.

Then there was a violent rushing sensation that hurt her torso, but things went...

_Slower_

She looked up only to find her sister in the air, pushing her back with all her might to safe ground. Faith flew backwards, sliding on her back for some distance, but recovered instantly. The back of her dress was covered in green streak marks, but she didn't care.

The older sibling looked up as she fell. Noticing that the lily and the leather book she carried was plummeting after. Briefly, she could see Faith's face peek over the cliff, the white in her hair now gone. It was hard to make out but she assumed the worst. Her crying and calling out her name. _That was the worst._

The tears that dripped from her eyelids flew upwards. _I love you _was the last thing she thought...

Before succumbing to darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: K. I deeply apologize for not posting sooner. I've been having laptop problems and I am currently not using microsoft word; however, I've also been extremely lazy and when I think about writing I question my future… which leads to me getting sidetracked. I do plan to continue writing consistently from this point forward. My goal is weekly and I will be focusing on this story for some time. Currently I'm just not feeling the Ender story at the moment, like I lost touch with it. I'll post a similar story update alongside with this chapter for that. Maybe halfway through this one I shall go back to it or maybe when this is done. Who knows right? The Wheel turns in mysterious ways. **

**Ta-Aikah.**

**Anyways, this story is dedicated to two of my friends who I've known for a long time now and I consider them my sisters. Also, apologies for not leaving an author's note or Chapter title for the upload before this. Consider that Prologue or Chapter 1. You come up with a title~ Be creative. Enjoy.**

**Yours truly, xDiv. (Might change my Author name. I was thinking "Divination" or "Divinity". Feel free to leave suggestions)**

...

_**Into Fire**_

Inhumane glares in the fast darkening room.

Two silhouettes stood alone, one sat and the other knelt, both undeniably male. The two men stared at one another, silently, neither exchanging words for some time. The large space methodically brightened and darkened every few seconds, the light pouring in from the outside, flickering. They knew the phenomena, they wanted to talk about it, but the one sitting on the throne did not start conversations. He waited for them, waited for status reports from his loyal subjects. More light spilled in.

The throne room, like the rest of the fortress, was dark no matter the lighting. The black brick in the walls, the floor, and the ceiling- pretty much everything, remained static. The rooms down the hall were uniform as well, following a specific pattern given by the King's orders. The man himself glared down the hallway past the figure knelt before him to make sure nothing had changed. Each room along the hallway had been equipped with an steel door, and an electronic locking mechanism that could only be opened by a distributed code. Only his most trusted subjects knew the code. Then, -

"Your highness," The kneeling man felt as if it was his turn to speak finally, "We must discuss the status of our home. It won't last very long; none of it will." He gulped nervously; sweat forming in the palm clutched over his heart.

A pause. A sigh.

"Cornelius I am very aware of the situa-"

"King Ethan, with all due respect, please refer to me as David. That other name brings back too many painful memories."

"That's irrelevant at the moment," The king faltered at the outburst, but didn't comment on it. "Back to the status report… is there anything we can do about the demise of our world?"

"Currently the other scientists and I are researching a makeshift power source… something to replace our dying star."

The lighting grew suddenly very dim; the King was somber as he moved away from the golden throne. Ethan's shadow walked briskly along the walls and towards the light source. His knees ached and his stomach churned uncontrollably. Ethan made his way to the right, towards the balcony that let in light from the outside world. This room was somewhat different, the floor changed suddenly from dark brick to translucency. The material beneath his feet became glass. There were torches hanging overhead for decoration purposes even though the lighting was not necessary. The outside world was bright enough.

Ethan's hair was jet black with gray hairs littering the follicles. His facial hair wasn't as thick, but more gray, giving him a stubbly beard. The king's face had many wrinkles from age and stress; there were bags under his eyes.

Ethan's gaze faltered slightly when he looked at his surroundings. As far as he could see himself, there was red. Much like the color of his irises, the substance the fortress was built upon, the ground beneath the feet of others, was a dark shade of crimson. The cracks in this hellish substance seemed sporadic, yet it was natural. The fire that caught on it wasn't temporary; the ever renewing properties and materials in the ground sustained the flames so they can burn brightly forever, unless interrupted unnaturally.

The lava that spewed from the orifices and openings in the land around him seemed different. It was breathing, much like he was, like everyone was. The dimension's lighting flickered; it grew tired, its breathing was slow and ragged. It was diminishing, the land… no, the dimension Ethan saw before him faded with each passing second. The flow of lava slowed, fires were being extinguished, the inhabitants were dying. All would soon perish.

With a heavy heart, Ethan turned away from the view, even though a part deep down wanted him to stay. To die with the world slowly and watch it fade into nonexistence, but a king should not stand idly by. Now was the time for action.

But how… a lone thought rang true through his hazy state of mind.

An explosion interrupted the silence in the throne room.

The second to last iron door down the hallway shook, and then flew free from its hinges with a ball of fire following close behind. The following explosion shook the castle. The scientist, David, that respectfully stood knelt before his king, fell over to the side. Dim lighting from the balcony poured onto his face, revealing more of his form. It was like he didn't have skin. Like all of the soft flesh burned off. His face had a patterned burn mark, with an assortment of colored streaks ranging from orange to black. His eyes widened in terror, the feral yellow color gleamed in the throne room. David turned to meet the source of the explosion down the hall. He was met with the piercing gaze of dark black eyes, the malicious intent written across the face of the boy who owned them. David could only get a quick glance at his shaking body, but knew what he looked like all too well.

His skin was light, but darker than usual at the moment; an assortment of scars beaten into him, a large burn mark on the left side of his face and a bloody scratch drawing diagonally down from the right eye to his chin. His hands, frail and weak, were balled into fists. The boy's cracked nails were digging into his skin. He didn't have clothes on, but instead bandages covered the rest of his body. The obsidian eyes that bore into David were once a brilliant shade of green, but torture and experimentation drove them as dark as the bags underneath. His cracked lips opened to speak, but neither men recognized the twisted voice.

"You…" he breathed. The boy brought a bony finger upwards and pointed it towards the collapsed man. David flinched. Circles of flame formed around the boy's quaking form, hugging his skin tightly as he uttered the last words. Ethan didn't.

"You did this… to me… to all of us. YOU WILL PERISH!"

Instantaneously, the flames clung to his body like armor, like a thorn mail. Burning his body and protecting it at the same time; the body of fire rushed down the hall, leaving a trail of blaze and destruction in his wake. David stumbled but tried his best to gain some distance away from the rushing flames. He fell on his back after failing to launch himself near the king's side. He whipped his head back around, only to meet with the boy on fire at the entrance of the hallway. The flames crept into the room slowly behind him, but the boy did not wait. He rushed towards David with the intention to kill; his swollen black irises being the only part of his body visible past the crackling fire. The scientist, in an effort to defend himself, brought his arm up in front of his face.

David didn't see what happened, but the diminishing heat and rushing wind told him everything. He uncovered his eyes only to be met by the sight of Ethan's back, the robe he wore flapping slightly. The fire give off from the boy's body shed some light on the king's face. The king's crimson eyes flickered. Ethan's right arm extended and two of his fingers pointed out and struck the boy in the forehead, stopping him in place. The black eyes he wore shot up maddeningly to stare at the man, but he did not waver under his glare. Instead, the king merely uttered a single word.

"Enough."

His voice was calm, but the word only fueled the boy's rage. The flames around his body skyrocketed in temperature, making Ethan flinch. The king did not enjoy disobedience; he despised it. Within the next few seconds Ethan's eyes changed color, deep red to pure black. The boy seemed surprised when he saw the king's eyes match the color of his own. Then he felt weak.

The boy's arms fell to his sides, limp and devoid of the remaining strength he had. The flame armor that hugged his body slowly began to disperse, until his body was no more than a candle flame. Then, all at once, it vanished with a wink. His burned body was exposed again, his skin bubbling and melting from the intense heat. His eyes were drained of all its color, only pearly white eyeballs remained visible. Finally, he collapsed, the boy's body crumpled to the floor at the feet of Ethan.

David blinked rapidly in understanding; he knew the king's powers very well. He stood up beside Ethan and dusted off his lab coat before speaking.

"Thank you, my king," He paused then emitted a sigh, "It's a shame that subject twenty had to go so soon." David sounded more disappointed than relieved. Ethan reflected the sigh.

"What does it matter?" The king gestured towards the open balcony, the light dimming as he did so. "What do any of our efforts mean when in the end-"

Darkness.

All at once the flames, the lava, the torchlight, vanished. The dimension had stopped breathing; it had ceased living, life nowhere to be seen. There was a pause. Although unseen to anyone else, Ethan fished something out of his robe pocket and held it at eye level. It was a locket. The golden circle felt cold against his grip and the chain coiled around his fingertips. He flicked it open, revealing a barely visible picture on the inside, and stared at it with blank eyes. David could hear his breath growing rigid.

Silence for several seconds.

"It all comes crumbling down."

…

"Ahh!" A weak scream echoed off the walls in the bedroom before an unwavering silence filled the air. The pale girl lying down in the queen sized bed tossed and turned to the side. The bandages that wrapped around the top of the girl's head covered her hair entirely. Dried blood stains marked the wrapping sporadically, but aside from that and the scratch mark on the right side of her cheek she seemed to have no other wounds. She tossed in the bed again.

"Ugh…" her eyes flickered open and shone a familiar shade of crimson. Groggily the girl sat up on her bed, watching the dark red sheets roll off her body. She was wearing what appeared to be a plain white patient's gown; the color almost blending in with her skin. She took a brief moment to analyze her surroundings.

The material the bed was made out of was extremely soft, adjusting to her body as she moved around. If the girl stood still long enough she'd sink. Directly across from her gaze lay a dark brown dresser, the color matching the frame on her bed, with a large mirror propped in the center. She studied herself briefly before turning to the bed design. The wooden frame had a seemingly simple design, but looking closer the girl realized it was far more intricate. At the foot of her bed, near the center, lie two twin wooden dragons facing one another. The dragon on the left's face was serious, not displaying his fangs but opening his mouth slightly as if spewing fire. The other dragon was much more… excited. Its smile was large and crooked and eyes bloodshot, but the opening in the mouth was big. _Order and chaos._ The thought wasn't hers, but it sounded like it.

The girl swiveled her body to the side, letting her legs dangle over the edge and her feet hover over the ground for several seconds. She breathed slowly, trying to understand her situation, but the throbbing pain in her head prevented that. The girl clutched her skull with delicate palms, thinking of ripping the bandages off. After a brief moment, she let herself touch the ground. It was warm; she couldn't see the floor because it was covered in a designed pattern. Black carpet with white specks, the white specks being stars of all shapes and sizes. The girl wasn't sure what it reminded her of and the headache only grew stronger thinking more about it. She decided to leave it be.

The girl moved slowly, her legs doing what they can with her current state. She moved around the bed, the center of the room, right in front of the drawer. Her feet felt different standing there; the girl looked down and saw a large four sided star designed on the carpet beneath her feet. The very center was a faded yellow and the girl moved to the side so she could see all of it. _Beautiful _she thought blankly. Her feet grazed something as she moved.

"Hmm?" a golden chain poked out from underneath the dresser. She bent over, pulled on it, and watched the locket on the other end of the chain soon follow. The girl stared at the golden globe, wondering what lies within. The locket felt strange beneath her palms, as if it had veins on the surface, however only smooth gold was visible. She directed her attention to the mirror once more. Right beside it was a brown brush; there were small bleached hairs tangled in the black bristles, but the girl didn't notice. She only stared back at her reflection.

The girl she saw was pale, weak, afraid, curious. Her gaze lingered on the scratch mark on the side of her face for some time, wondering what exactly happened for her to get a scar like that. Her mind was too foggy to think back, everything seemed so surreal. The girl hadn't realized, but when she came to and focused on the reflection again she noticed that her body was instinctively clutching the locket close to her chest. She saw writing on the back of it in the mirror. She looked down and turned it over, tracing the engraved letters with delicate fingertips. It was a name.

_Isabelle_.

The girl froze, and then repeated the name several times in her mind, then out loud. The name, much like the locket, was… strange. Different. However, it felt like a good different. Like the name belonged to her. Curiosity crept in the girl's mind once more as she felt the need to open the locket, but it wouldn't budge. Her fingers explored the sphere hungrily but she couldn't find a way to open it, only a small opening resting at the bottom. However, it wasn't normal; the shape at the entrance of it didn't look like it required a key. It was just a tiny hole, in fact, she wasn't even sure if it was a lock. She dismissed it, putting the locket around her neck, and decided to bear the name until further notice. She liked it. Isabelle liked her name.

Isabelle continued to stare at herself, the same reflection that admired the golden locket hung around her neck. She wondered again just what happened with the scratch on her face, and then lingered to the bandages that kept her hair hidden. The girl scratched at it, but then decided it'd be best to leave it for now when her head began to throb. There was a clicking noise that she couldn't quite hear. Isabelle noticed a door had appeared to the right of her bed and another one to the left of the mirror. The door near the mirror had a familiar design.

She studied the wooden rectangle while walking around the dresser, her hand roaming across the surface as she did so. Isabelle noticed there was a large amount of dust on the drawer, but she didn't think of it much. Her gaze only fixated on the door before her. She ran a finger across the bottom, then the middle, until finally she reached what had caught her eye. Isabelle's finger stopped at the center of the white four pointed star design; the same design that reflected on the carpet in the center of the room. The star was pure white.

The door didn't budge when Isabelle pushed on it and she would have tried pulling on it too, but there was no knob. _Weird _she thought again. Different. The girl turned around momentarily to study the door at the opposite corner of the room. No star, no doorknob. _Hmm…_

Whispers could be heard on the other side of the door peeking Isabelle's curiosity. She pressed her ear against it and, to her surprise; it was icy cold. The voices were deep and muffled, barely audible for the girl to hear, especially passed the bandages. She concentrated and slowed her breathing.

_Closer...Escape...Leave..._

She reeled backwards. Were the words directed towards her specifically? Had she imagined it?

Unwavering silence. She was so eager to leave now. The girl, not knowing who or where she was, wanted to find out; Isabelle's current condition and the closed door, however, confined her to the room. Her eyes concentrated on the door with renewed motivation and she clenched her fist. "Opeeeeeeeeeeeennn." She squirmed slightly, the curiosity brimming. Isabelle moved around the room, unable to control her eagerness and opened the drawers underneath the mirror. For the most part they were empty; the wood surface on the bottoms of each drawer weren't as dark as the surrounding design. Six in total, Isabelle counted, and the last one she checked was the only one with something inside of it. The girl pondered as what appeared to be torn white sheets, burned and soaked in blood. Isabelle took the white cloth out of its confinements and pondered at it, running her hand across the burnt tips and blood stained areas. Her head throbbed as she did so; as if the girl's body refused to welcome the foreign material. She folded it neatly into a square, or at least attempted to, and placed the sheet back into the drawer. _Something is definitely off here_ she thought.

Isabelle stiffened against the words she heard; the voice was a hush whisper. Different. _The door is different_. The voice was soft, seemingly echoing hers. She looked around again, but she was alone in the bedroom. The voice wasn't hers… was it? Her curiosity peaked once more and she approached the door again, scanning it carefully. The white star hadn't moved, but she could feel its presence. Isabelle concentrated on it, the center was calling out to her, whispered her name. Hesitantly, she gazed down at her pale palm and back at the star again. _Different_. She reached out and gently rested her palm against the star's form. There was a slight humming noise.

The star, she blinked, pulsated? The golden aura started from its center then spread out to the corners before disappearing and repeating. Faster; the center began to glow. Isabelle squinted against the ever growing light, her palm still firmly placed in the center of the four pointed star. She felt… strong. The star's colors started to blend with others now: a purple and gold aura that shed even more light. The star on the door now reflected the one on the carpet, except it was brighter. Isabelle was blinded momentarily; a giant flash of light filling the room, but the girl moved her arm in an attempt to cover her eyes. There was a buzzing noise and the light faded away, the star returned to its original white state.

Isabelle scratched at the bandages and cocked her head. "How about now...?" she felt idiotic talking to an inanimate object, but it was worth a shot. The door merely gazed back at her, curious of the question as well. The girl stomped. "Open! Something!?"

There was a pause, and the door seemingly sighed, before it began moving. The wooden rectangle slid to the left, into the hidden crevice on the side. Neither pushing or pulling would've opened it to begin with. The darkness behind the door wasn't as surprising to Isabelle, her crimson eyes already adjusted to the lack of light around her; however, the blinding light just moments ago still took a toll. Isabelle took a deep breath and crept forward, succumbing to darkness.

…

The two guards posted outside of the steel door remained still, unblinking as David trotted down the hall in their direction. Mechanically, the two man clad in iron armor and equipped with golden longswords moved to the side, allowing the scientist to enter. David paused, doing his "flinch test", and waved his hands extremely close to their faces. Although he could not see any faces past the veil they wore, he knew they budged for emergencies only. Not even a breath escaped either of their lips. The scientist chuckled, disappearing into the room with the _click_ of the door sliding behind him.

...

"How long has it been?" Ethan's deep voice had changed; the king was noticeably weaker.

"A few months, no immediate signs of recovery yet," David responded, voice unchanged, "However, the experimentation seems to running smoothly." His grin was wicked and his eyes flashed slightly, but the king didn't notice.

"Is that so? That's good news I suppose," A pause, "Godsdamnit why is it so damn dark in here." Although, it couldn't be seen, David figured the king had raised his hand up in the air. Ethan snapped his fingers.

The candle resting on the desk behind David had flickered to life, its flame bursting upwards almost touching the ceiling. The scientist stared blankly, the room growing extremely bright due to the fire behind him. "Overdid it." Ethan exhaled slowly, the flame lowering to normal levels as he did so. "Didn't mean to… I'm getting old." They both exchanged glances before chuckling.

The room was small, but comfortable. The king rarely let anyone else into his private study, but he was feeling tired and lenient. There was a work desk directly behind David's form; unfiled papers covered the surface along with the newly lit candle flame. Above it was an assortment of books neatly packed into a light wooden bookcase. There was a door next to the bookcase that led to the bathroom.

"Anyways, back to the matter at hand, how's your research on a sustainable power source. It's a miracle we're all still alive at the moment, a miracle that our world is still breathing." Ethan's hands balled up into fists, infuriated with how powerless he was in such a situation. David shook his head from side to side with a grim expression written across his burnt face; his yellow eyes grew dull. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was met with the sight of the king's palm, silencing him.

"Your facial expression tells me all that I need," a pause and a long sigh, "However; I do not hold you accountable. If a power source is not found then we must escape, flee this dimension before it collapses on itself, killing us with it."

"I agree." The scientist whispered, his hands nervously gripping his lab coat. David watched with uncertainty as Ethan rose to his feet and walked briskly to the study behind him. The sound of flipping pages filled the room for some time before an audible _thump_ of a closing book rang in David's ears.

"Gates. How many remain?" Ethan's voice dropped a few decibels, his tone lower as he spoke.

"Gates?" The scientist seemed perplexed.

"Gates. I'm not sure what scientific term you use, but it's the gateways in and out of our world." Ethan put the book face down on the desk.

"Portals. They are called portals my king... and the radars have picked up a very small energy signature in the north. As of right now, I am not entirely sure as to what it is considering how far away it is."

"And the state of the portal near us is still..."

"Irreparable. The accident that occurred a few months ago left the east portal completely destroyed. The force of the explosion left no remains either."

Ethan felt a strange sensation in his chest, something he hadn't felt in a long time. Worry. Anxiety wrought his soul; the concern not only for himself, but his world was eating away at his physical form as well. Even David noticed the rapid decay of his King, but standing around feeling useless wasn't solving anything.

"I need you to put off the experimentation for some time as of today. Focus research on the energy signal spotted in the north; we need to know whether or not that is an exit." The king's voice was firm, unlike before where his tone was grim and uncertain. The scientist's eyes widened momentarily.

"I don't think that's a good id-"

"That's an order, Cornelius." There was no room for argument.

The name left a numb pain in David's chest, but he couldn't help feeling confident that Ethan was no longer on the road in becoming a frail old man.

"As you command." David nodded in agreement. He moved out of his chair and placed his palm over his heart, kneeling slightly. Recognition of authority.

Unbeknownst to the men, a similar action took place outside of the room, but Ethan only recognized the sound of weapons falling unceremoniously to the floor; the clanking echoing outside and leaving a dull silence in its wake.

Instinctively, the king reached at his side and firmly gripped the golden hilt that lay hidden beneath his robes. He was prepared for whatever threat rendered his guards unarmed. David, on the other hand, was calm; he chose, like any good intellectual, to analyze the situation before resorting to violence. What surprised him more than the sounds was seeing Ethan's sword once again in his possession. The scientist once remembered the king saying that he had no necessity to use that weapon to fight, but given his current weakened state it wasn't all too disturbing. David tilted his head, almost certain that something else lay below the hilt of his blade, something strapped to his leg.

Without warning, the door slid open and Ethan's resolve shattered. The scientist seemed slightly shocked as well, but his curiosity overcame that as he managed to breathe a single word.

"Interesting."

…

_Labyrinth. _

That was the first word popped into Isabelle's mind upon leaving bedroom that she assumed to be hers. The darkness coiled around the girl's body, welcoming her into an unfamiliar territory. She blinked. The long corridor that led from the bedroom seemed to have no end, for it was too dark for Isabelle to see the end of it. A moment of weakness came over the girl as she thought of fleeing back into her room and lying back down. Isabelle shook her head. The fear was trying to act for her and she knew that was never a good thing.

The girl crept forward, an ominous weight seemed to pile on her shoulders with each step. _Digging your own grave._ One of those thoughts again. Weird dialogue pierced her subconscious, tempting her to do the opposite of what she truly wanted. Isabelle paused. _Maybe I shouldn't…_

Isabelle squinted, peering down the hall and finding that she could finally see something in the distance. Standing where she was, nothing could be deciphered, but it was something. She dimwittedly bursted forward, hoping that the mystery behind her injuries could be solved. The girl could feel the nodding of disapproval that her secondary thoughts gave off. She didn't care. This was _her _choice.

An intersection. Isabelle suddenly felt cold as she frantically turned left and right, scanning the paths before her. The left and right paths seemed to mirror each other. Steel doors as far as her eyes could see littered the sides of the walls on both paths, figures could be made out at the far end of the right path. Figures? _People?_ Isabelle's smile was undeniable, even in the dark hallway, and she would have moved in that direction as well; however, the girl felt a warm sensation brimming in her chest. Something was burning, burning not only in her chest but in the distance… somewhere along the corridor she stood. The center path only revealed more darkness. Isabelle had to make a decision. The right path clearly had individuals, but if she continued along the corridor she already stood… _Well, who knows?_

She smiled again. "Different."

Isabelle continued walking forward.

…

The guards remained unmoving, however both were having the same thought in the back of their heads. The guard to the left uncharacteristically began to speak, startling his counterpart. His voice was raspy and slightly muffled due to the veil, but understandable nonetheless.

"The King has ordered the head scientist into his study. Most likely speaking about plans of recovery."

The other guard remained quiet for some time, uncertain on whether or not she should respond, but mustered up the strength anyways. Her voice was softer.

"David is his most trusted subject, it is only normal I suppose. Something you find suspicious?" The nameless guards stared at one another in the darkness. The male guard seemed nervous.

"It's been dark. The outside world isn't as alive as it was in its prime… can they do it? Fix it?"

Silence.

The female guard wasn't sure how to respond to the question because she had the exact thoughts bubbling underneath. What would become of them if King Ethan couldn't fix the broken in the world? Would they all perish into nonexistence? Neither were sure and thinking about it only fueled the anxiety. The female opened her mouth to speak

"Did you hear that?" The male guard's voice interrupted her train of thought. He stiffened slightly, intent on listening closely to the noise he heard. The other guard paused. Light footsteps in the distance.

"We are the only two authorized to be on guard at this time," He continued. "There should be no movement." He unsheathed his longsword, gripping the hilt tightly with both hands. The golden blade waved in the darkness as the man tried to signal the oncomer to stop. The footsteps only grew faster and louder; he braced for combat.

…

Isabelle ran down the corridor, feeling as if fire would escape her lips in rigid gasps, the burning she felt in her chest only increased with time. She was getting close. _Do not_. There it was again. The so called "voice of reason" that echoed against her thoughts. Isabelle could barely hear them anyways. Only the sounds of crackling fire and lone footsteps could be heard. She was almost sure that her body would collapse with each step, heavier and heavier the weight grew; the fire burned. Weary from fatigue Isabelle was unable to make out the voice calling to her in the distance.

The girl paused, accepting how weak she truly was at the moment. Isabelle's head hung low and her eyes traced the ridges in her delicate fingers. Her legs screamed and her breathing grew ragged, yet the girl's body lurched forward aimlessly. Her dim crimson eyes in the dark corridor seemed predatory from a distance, like an animal stalking its next meal; it was a complete contradiction. Isabelle's status seemed to that of the prey; a wounded animal.

Still she progressed. Barely. The girl began leaning against the wall for support, trying to keep a level gaze with what lay ahead. There were two figures standing evenly part from the other, both seemed to be frozen in place. Isabelle's eyes betrayed her. She thought of them to be statues, what with their iron clad armor and unmoving forms. Both statues looked like they were sculpted in battle formation, each ready to strike down whatever threat came their way. A short chuckle escaped her lips as she noticed the steel door framed between the two. _So close._ Her eyes closed by themselves. The girl was on the verge of fainting as muffled commands came barreling at her. Isabelle couldn't hear them

The sound of rushing wind filled the girl's ears and her eyes shot wide open. The blood felt warm.

Everything was slow. Isabelle opened her eyes in time to see the iron suit of armor beside her, but unable to dodge the blow that lunged in her direction. The brief sensation of metal making contact with her skin stung. The golden sword was intended to hit her throat, but she must have swayed to the side for it only grazed the side of her head. The flat of blade had a pattern on it that reflected the veins the girl felt earlier on the locket. When the statue had finally passed her uncharacteristically still body, a long scratch mark was left on her cheek with fresh blood seeping down pale skin. The bandages had suffered the same damage.

The statue in front of Isabelle merely gawked as her body kept on moving forward. The bandages slowly unwrapping and floating gracefully to the ground. The statue, now realizing who she was, began to move, dropping her weapon unceremoniously to the ground. Isabelle had a glimpse of her hair for the first time as the strands swayed in front of her field of vision. Pure white follicles that hung low to the ground. Nothing added up. Even if Isabelle's vision wasn't hazy she still would not have understood it. Everything just brought up more and more questions that needed an answer.

The steel door slid open.

…

Gasps to gasps. Glares to glares. Crimson to crimson.

Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched a white haired girl in a patient's gown and blood dripping down her skin stare at him. For a moment, he truly believed he was seeing some sort of pale apparition. Their eyes met and the man realized who he was staring at.

"Isabelle… is that you? Are-are you alright!?" His voice showed weakness again, but even more so than before. Ethan's body began to uncontrollable shake. The girl's blank stare bore into him, staring intently at something specific. The king realized he still held the hilt of the sheathed sword firmly, but began to slowly raise both of his hands.

"I will not harm you. Please, say something."

The girl didn't budge at all, her gaze still fixated near the sword on his waist. Ethan looked down, remembering the book he kept there to be safe. He extended a hand to her, trying to get close enough to touch; to make sure she was real. Suddenly, a scream.

Isabelle clawed at her head and shrieked in pain. The pounding in her head intensified along with the burning brewing underneath her skin. Ethan felt it as well. He feared she would explode. The deafening sound that escaped her lips wasn't normal… some demonic cry that shook the foundation of the room. David closed his eyes and covered his ears. Just when the king thought of doing the same, it stopped. The girl fell forward and Ethan caught her in his arms. Her skin was hot and frail. He yelled for the assistance.

…

The softness of the bed caressed Isabelle's body once more, remembering her frame and hugging her close. White hair pooled near where her head lay and a familiar fragrance filled the girl's nostrils. It smelled strong, like the scent of a flower. Isabelle could barely move against the aching pain and just let herself lie back, submitting to the fatigue.

She sneezed.

**Well that wraps up this chapter!**

** Lunabellle: Yeah yeah I wonder where they get their cuteness from 3, also…. Shhhh.**

** iamsolarflare: Glad you liked it! I really am a sucker when it comes to detail. **

**Fun Fact: This story was actually worked on first like 2 years ago and i was like 6 chapters in. Although all of them were really short. This chapter was titled 'Amnesia' and the story as a whole was "Forged in Hell"... hence this remake's title. Also, Ethan and David didn't have names. They were just 'The scientist' and 'The king'. Pretty lame huh? Well until next week! Hopefully..**


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